Texting and Driving

Texting while driving puts many driver’s lives in danger daily. Multiple people feel that staying connected to the outside world is more important than focusing on the road ahead, although it is not. It can harm others on the road who are doing nothing other than trying to make it to their destination safely. If people would open their eyes to the dangers of texting while driving, less car accidents would take place every year and the roads would be much safer. Distracted drivers need to know the position they put others in as well as themselves. While behind the wheel, drivers should never direct their attention to their cell phone, and should always keep their eyes on the road.

Statistics show that texting while driving is on the rise. In a published article, “Trends in Fatalities From Distracted Driving in the United States”, from National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2005 to 2008 car accidents involving a use of a cellular device increased by 28 percent, while drunk driving fatalities declined by 35 percent. In today’s world, many people are becoming attached to their phone, and they cannot put it down for 30 minutes. A study completed by Pew Research Center showed that 59 percent of young adults ranging from 18 to 34 years old are the most likely to text and

Texting and driving was and continues to be one of the major factors of car accidents in America’s population. In the following advertisement named, “Phone in one hand, Ticket in the other” it is noted that texting and driving are frowned upon in our society, and the authorities are giving citizens tickets for texting and driving. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) had created and promoted this ad to help decrease car accidents involving texting and driving, by informing the reader, you will be ticketed if you are caught being on your phone while driving a vehicle. The ad was first campaigned April 2015 by NHTSA. There are two messages being portrayed in this advertisement. First, the text of the ad, gets the audience thinking about two possible consequences of texting and driving. Secondly, the images demonstrate what may take place if you are using a cell phone while on the road. Lastly, both the text and images work together to get the message across that if you are caught texting and driving, you will be ticketed, and the use of a cellular device while driving can lead to a car accident. The, “Phone in one hand, Ticket in the other” ad successfully portrays its reasoning for being invented, and I believe the presence of this ad will decrease the amounts of accidents in America.

“Text messaging … had the longest duration of eyes-off-road time of 4.6 seconds at a six second interval. This equates to a driver traveling the length of a football field at 55 miles per hour without looking at the roadway.” This statement was made by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute when they did a texting while driving study (“Skip Menu”). Texting while driving has become a large problem in the United States and it is growing. There are about 1,600,000 accidents per year as a result of texting while driving. Texting while driving has become a bigger problem for teenagers than drinking while intoxicated. In an article Delthia Ricks wrote for Newsday, she says:

I have been the single most wanted electronic device since 1986. I make it easy to stay connected at all times with friends, news, and entertainment. I also cause 1.6 million automobile crashes each year. I am the number one gateway to porn, cyberbullying, and social misconduct. I am a phone. Cellular phones can be either distracting or essential. While driving, they could be deadly or navigational; in class, they could be distractions or educational tools; and behaviorally speaking, cell phones have negative impacts on young children.

Hey, LOL, TTYL, and more are texts that are not worth your life or others as we can can see in the Don't Text and Drive image. This powerful image lacks color and life which conveys the heartache and misery it can bring to one's family. Texting while driving proves to be hazardous in that it is a distraction, causes many accidents, and endangers your life and the lives of others. This monster has no age limit and no gender. Everyone at anytime could be subjected to a terrible accident due to you texting and driving or somebody else not paying attention while they are texting and driving. Texting while driving proves to be an epidemic that negatively affects teens and society as a whole and should be avoided at all costs.

In this age of multitasking, the use of cell phones is combined with assignments like cooking, driving, babysitting, walking, doing college assignments and even eating. Whereas the use of cell phones while doing some chores might be simply annoying, the consequence of using cell phone with driving can be fatal. Recent polls by the Pew Research Center and other researchers show that about fifty to ninety percent young Americans admit using their cell phone while driving. This includes about thirty six percent who said they texted or typed something whiles driving. (Lopresti-Goodman, Rivera, & Dressel, 2012). The practice of using phone particularly texting while driving has increased the number of distracted driving accidents. When the cell phone records of people involved

Ever wonder how your life would be if you killed someone while driving and texting? Think of it this way, it could be your friend, your child, someone you love with all of your heart or even you. How would this affect you, your family or the family of someone else you could easily hurt? During this essay I will persuade you why Idaho should enact Legislation which prohibits texting while driving with statistics, facts and my own personal experience.

“I hope you brought a phone charger!” Rachel said excitedly as she started up the car. “This is going to be a long drive and I can’t have my phone die, but, at least texting doesn’t use much battery.” George shook his head and plugged the phone charger into the cigarette lighter. “It’s a good thing I’m a great multitasker, even while driving,” stated Rachel. As Rachel pulled out onto a busy road, with her new cell phone in one hand and her other on the steering wheel, George

Have you ever lost a close friend or family member from them texting and driving or someone else texting and driving? I am sure you have been one to text and drive also as much as we hate to admit it. Would you want to be the one who killed yourself or someone just because of that one text? I have personally known two young girls who have been killed from texting and driving. Both were on the same road exactly five months apart. Here is why I believe every state needs a no texting and driving law to ensure that our roads are safe from those individuals who insist on texting while driving.

In modern Society Technology is increasingly prevalent. With 82% of 16 year olds owning a cell phone the risks of use behind the wheel are increasing monumentally. According to research, even using a hands-free device to talk does not completely reduce the risk of getting into an accident. According to the Highway Safety Association people using a cell phone while driving are 23 times more likely to get in an accident. Studies show that humans are only able to multitask to a certain point and while behind the wheel the risks are just too high (Copeland). The majority legislators understand the hazards of phone use in a car, but continuously refuse to ban and create laws to prevent it. The statistics back up the hazards of distracted driving yet the government refuses to prevent the danger.

Since the beginning of the smart phone era, humanity has come to build relationships with not only people, but their electronic devices. From talking on their phones and exploring apps, to texting while driving, people cannot seem to put down their smart-devices. According to the passage Introduction to Cell Phones and Driving: At Issue, the average amount of texts people send daily runs from around 40 – 110 (2015). It may not seem like the highest number, but knowing that more than half of those messages are sent while driving makes the matter of texting a lot worse. At this point in time, there have been laws prohibiting texting and driving as well as talking on the phone. Yet, to this day, those laws are null and void; regardless, the talking and texting while driving never stops. Although this phenomenon happens daily and causes many minor and major accidents, the probability of seizing this behavior is little to none.

No matter how much effort state governments try to make to avoid people texting while driving, only so much can be done on the government’s and law enforcement’s side of the matter. Different states have different rules. Some outlaw texting while driving when under the age of 21 or 18. Other states have hand-held bans on cell phones while some states have an all-phone ban. Law enforcement officers who regulate and enforce traffic matters have to catch the person in the act of texting while driving. Catching a person in the act is not an easy task to accomplish as an officer of the law. Even a consistent and national law against texting while driving would plausibly not solve the calamities. I think the true issue of driving and texting is contingent with the drivers. Drivers should take heed to statistics, priorities, and lives involved regarding the issue of texting and driving.

According to Winfrey, how is texting while driving similar to driving while drunk? How is it different?

Currently, there is a law regarding the use of devices while driving in the Commonwealth of Virginia. According to the state agency, Department of Motor Vehicles drivers under the age of 18 years old are outright banned from using cell phones or any sort of personal communication devices while driving. In fact texting is banned for all drivers. In Virginia, it is considered a primary offense, meaning the police can pull you over if they suspect you of texting while driving. The first time this happens the fine is $125 and $250 for offenses thereafter. A website titled “Virginia Decoded” shows the use of devices while driving specifically defined as: